


keep moving to be stable

by Doranwen



Series: our fate before us [6]
Category: Push (2009)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 10:04:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11484090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doranwen/pseuds/Doranwen
Summary: Cassie is reminded that many things in life are only temporary.  The experience is less than pleasant, as usual.





	keep moving to be stable

"Hey," Cassie said by way of greeting as she pulled out ingredients for omelets in their small kitchen.

"Hey," Nick said in between yawns.

Cassie thought he looked rather adorable with his hair all mussed, wearing the fluffy blue robe that she'd gotten him a few days ago ("consider it a late Christmas present, since it's going to take me awhile to get good enough with the drawing"). She knew better than to say anything about **that** , though. "I've got brunch covered," she told him. "Go wake up some more." She grinned at him quickly before turning back to the food.

Nick took the hint and shuffled into the bathroom. Soon the sound of water running met Cassie's ears.

By the time Nick emerged from the shower and returned to the kitchen with hair combed and regular clothes on, the omelets were mostly done. He settled himself in one of the chairs. "So, we haven't decided what we want to do today."

Cassie raised an eyebrow, wondering what crazy thing he was going to suggest this time.

"I vote we go to the Tate Modern."

She blinked. "What's that?"

"An art gallery."

Cassie gave him a funny look. "You're into art?"

"Not exactly." He paused for a second, enough for Cassie to catch the emotion flitting across his face. He looked off as he continued. "My dad took me to one when we were on the run. Maybe a year before they got him. He said it'd be a good cultural experience." Nick gave a short laugh. "Like an eleven-year-old kid is going to care about that. But I enjoyed the time with him anyway." His eyes picked up a little twinkle at Cassie. "You could use the cultural experience."

Cassie snorted. "I vote we skip the gallery and go see _Sherlock Holmes_. I still haven't gotten to see it yet."

Nick chuckled. "You just want to see it because he's your great-great-grandfather or something."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "That joke is so bad it isn't even funny."

"Oh c'mon, you loved it."

This was true—because it was Nick and just the fact of him attempting to crack a joke amused Cassie—but she wasn't about to tell him so. "Whatever. I'm still voting for it."

"We could do both; gallery in the afternoon, movie tonight."

"We could." She met Nick's eyes with a grin, shaking her head. "So how much does it cost?"

"Here's the best part: it's free."

Cassie sighed. "OK, let's go after we eat." She started to cut her omelet and froze.

"Cassie?" Nick asked, concerned.

Her hands flew up to her forehead and held there for a few seconds before she pulled them away and lifted her face up. "Kira's going to be here in a little bit."

"Kira? Really? You're sure?" Nick was pathetically eager.

Cassie felt like a parent reassuring a child. "Yes—probably half an hour." She sighed again. So much for those plans. "Enough time to finish the meal." She finished cutting her omelet and started to eat, but the food had lost all the flavor she had been anticipating.

* * *

One quiet meal later, Cassie busied herself washing the dishes. She tried to ignore Nick, who was tossing a pair of dice back and forth between his hands. _Clickety-clack, clickety-clack_ ; she was having no success. "If you can't think of anything to do with yourself, at least try juggling things with your power," she told him without turning around. The sudden silence was a relief.

The warm sudsy water was proving soothing, and Cassie had nearly finished rinsing their last dish when the doorbell rang, followed by the clatter of Nick's juggling objects falling to the floor. She hurried through wiping it dry with a towel and putting it back away as Nick practically leapt out of the chair to open the door. When she did turn around, she had to wonder why she'd bothered rushing; who needed to see him kissing Kira, anyway? "So, is this a social visit, or should we expect to move in the next few hours?" Cassie asked, walking over to stand by Nick.

Kira had the good graces to show regret on her face. "Some of both. The Division Watchers have started to See that you're alive, Nick, but I Pushed them to hold off in telling anyone else until at least tomorrow sometime, so we have a day for sure."

Nick sighed. "Back to running again." Cassie's expression mirrored his own. "I figured I couldn't hide forever, but I kinda liked this place." His hand made a broad sweep of the room.

"Same here," Cassie added.

"Been busy?" Kira asked him.

"Oh, enough," he answered. "I've been working at a pub down the road. Cassie here's been taking Krav Maga."

Cassie smiled a little at Kira's expression. "It might come in handy the next time I have to run from one of your co-workers. Which, by the way, did any of the Watchers tell you how his Moving is these days?"

Kira's eyes narrowed a little. "No."

"You should show her, Nick," Cassie told him.

"This is because **someone** insisted my power needed work on control." Nick playfully bumped her shoulder.

"That's because it **did** ," Cassie retorted. She watched in satisfaction as Nick pulled six different items into the air, rotating them in a circle before switching to a more complicated three-dimensional movement pattern.

"I see you **have** been busy," Kira said, smiling at Nick.

"Not too busy to enjoy a day with you. What do you want to do?" he asked Kira.

This was too much for Cassie. "Weren't we going to go to the Tate Modern?"

"Oh yeah, want to go to an art gallery?" Nick asked. "It's got a lot of important paintings. We were going to go acquire—"

"—some cultural experience," Cassie finished for him, rolling her eyes. "Like we really need it."

"Culture isn't a bad thing," Kira said, smiling into Nick's eyes.

Cassie sighed inwardly and turned to grab her bag. It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

The art itself wasn't that bad, Cassie decided, even if a lot of the styles were a little weird, in her opinion. On the other hand, Kira was more annoying than the last time Cassie had seen her. At least then it was merely her presence that drew Division goons out of the woodwork. All Cassie had seen of Kira **doing** anything was her being a bit sappy towards Nick as well as utterly unhelpful in remembering anything about the case. This time… Cassie almost wished Kira were sick again. Between Nick having his arm wrapped around the older girl, them whispering things to each other, the occasional kisses… Cassie found herself more and more irritated, and spent her time walking in front of them—at least then she didn't have to see them. It also helped remind Nick that she was around, because she suspected that otherwise he would forget she was there.

Cassie's spirits lifted marginally when Nick suggested they eat at her favorite Indian place one last time, since Kira didn't have any preferences. The momentary triumphant feeling was fleeting, as Kira kept whispering into Nick's ear. Cassie decided to see how long it would take Nick to notice she wasn't talking; when several minutes had gone by without a comment, she knew this was going to be a long evening as well. She spent the meal thinking of places to go next. They'd had a long time before Division caught on to them; any more and her skills might get rusty. _Russia? Maybe India?_ she wondered, catching a glimpse of the two lovebirds out of the corner of her eye. Maybe Nick was taking the night off, but they had taken too much time off as it was. How **were** they going to get her mom out of Division's hands?

By the time they returned to the flat, Cassie's questions had coalesced into a single desire: clearer vision. As far as she knew, there was only one way to get it, and she didn't particularly care what Nick thought at that moment. _I don't think I want to be around for the next act, anyway_ , Cassie thought. The walls **were** a bit thin, and the image that had just appeared in her mind was one she'd rather have Wiped. Though Nick wasn't a bad body to look at, she had to admit.

"Where are you going?" Nick asked her, a puzzled tone in his voice. Kira glanced over from her spot by his side.

"Out," called Cassie, not looking back as she opened the door and exited the place they'd called home.

"Wait a minute," Nick called, jogging to catch up with her. "What are you doing?"

"It's none of your business," Cassie retorted, then sighed a little. "Just let me go, and go be with her. Get on with… whatever you're gonna do. I'll be fine," she reassured him, and turned away. He didn't pursue her further; she wasn't sure how to feel about that.

She hadn't had to ask people to purchase alcohol for her before the nice Chinese gentleman in Hong Kong, but it was pretty much the same method she used any time she needed an adult to buy her something. First she'd scope out the location (the corner store was the best bet), then start scanning the people who approached and look for someone who wasn't a creep but didn't look like the grandma next door. Men were her preference; she'd perfected a smile that usually seemed to get them to agree with what she asked (well, Nick didn't fall for it, but maybe Nick was a special case anyway), though women usually worked quite well for most things. She wasn't sure how most women would feel about buying her a bottle of alcohol, though, so she stuck with the men this time. The first turned her down, but the second agreed for a little extra money, and she was soon clutching the bottle to her.

The problem of location was easily solved; the hallway leading to their flat was empty nearly all the time. _Far enough away that I don't have to **hear** them, at least._ She settled herself in a corner, back against the wall, and lifted the bottle for a first mouthful. She nearly spewed it all over herself in her shock at the taste, coughing in between attempts to swallow. _Blech, that stuff's **nasty**!_ The next few sips were more cautious ones, spaced at intervals, and the burn lessened slightly as she relaxed. She closed her eyes as the images began to appear in her mind. A half hour later, she'd seen what she needed to.

The hallway tipped sideways, and Cassie clutched at the walls for support as she struggled to open the door - and then to close it behind her. "Hey Nick!" A muffled sound came through his door. "Niiick!" she sang before hiccuping once.

The object of her query was still pulling a shirt over his head as he emerged from the doorway to his room. "Cassie?" he asked. The confused look on his face cleared up and a resigned look replaced it. "You're drunk again," he stated.

"Got to—hic—See clearly." She swayed for a moment. "We gotta pack. Gotta leave early."

"We're already leaving tomorrow," he reminded her.

"Not early enough—hic! Before dawn." Kira walked out of Nick's room, and Cassie wanted to hurl something at her. If the world weren't spinning. "Because of her. Her and all her buddies," she spat.

"You're saying Division's going to be here at dawn tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah." She turned to Kira. "Couldn't even tell they were going to come early for us. Some agent you are." She decided to start for the bathroom, just in case, holding onto the wall as she swayed. "Have fun with your fancy life, while we try to survive." She hiccuped again. "Next time, Push 'em to hunt someone else." Her stomach chose that moment to rebel, and she stumbled through the bathroom door in a hurry.

She made it to the toilet in time to lift the seat up, but her hair started to fall in front of her, and she didn't dare let go of the sides of the toilet bowl with her hands; the room was spinning too much. She sighed with relief inside as she felt Nick approach, kneeling down to hold her hair back. "When were they supposed to come?" he asked Kira.

Cassie barely heard Kira's reply over the sounds she was making. "I thought they wouldn't be here till tomorrow morning!"

"Apparently they decided early was better," he said. "Would've gotten us, too." He turned back to Cassie, who felt her stomach might—finally—stop heaving. "You feeling a little better?" She nodded, still bent over. "I'll get you some water, then."

Cassie lifted a hand up to hold her hair back and got to her feet, shakily. "I'm fine," she called to his retreating back.

"I'm getting you a glass anyway," came the reply.

She rolled her eyes and cautiously followed the wall out to the kitchen. She took the proffered glass of water with a sigh and rinsed her mouth out.

"I'll start packing; you sit down for a bit until you know you're not going to hurl again," he told her, then turned to go into his room.

She made a face at him, but did as he asked, closing her eyes. The world hadn't quite stopped spinning yet…

* * *

Cassie leaned back into her seat next to Nick as the taxi bore them swiftly away from the place she had called home for longer than anything else in her life for years. At her feet lay a duffel bag which held the few possessions she wanted to hold onto: mostly clothes, personal care items, a few books. She hadn't recovered from the Scotch fast enough to pack it herself; Nick had done it for her while she sat, her eyes still closed. She never actually saw Kira leave, but the outer door had clicked shut at some point while he was packing his things, so she figured that was it. If she didn't see the other girl for a year, it would be too soon for her. What did Nick see in her, anyway?

Her head ached from the effects of the drink and the fact that it was the middle of the night. She leaned her head against Nick's arm, sighing as she relaxed. He lifted an arm and wrapped it around her shoulder, securing her against him. Being a fugitive really sucked sometimes, but at least they weren't alone, she thought. She closed her eyes, letting herself fall asleep as the taxi carried them into the unknown.


End file.
